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Overview

Hope to spread through football

(FIFA.com) Monday 1 October 2007

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On 30 September 2007, Special Olympics held a press conference
at Shanghai's Hongkou Football Stadium to announce the launch
of a new global initiative to provide greater footballing
opportunities for players with intellectual disabilities: Special
Olympics Global Football (SOGF).

Quick to lend their enthusiastic backing for today's launch
were key figures in the international football community. The
announcement coincided with the final day's action at the FIFA
Women's World Cup China 2007, which also took place at the
Hongkou Stadium.

FIFA's intention was to use the showpiece competition as
a platform to help raise the profile and influence of the Special
Olympics, with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and Special
Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver hailing the day's
events as a "huge moment". FIFA hope to garner support
for players with intellectual disabilities from people across the
globe and from every walk of life.

"I would like to express my admiration for Chairman
Shriver's dedicated efforts in promoting sport for
intellectually disabled people. FIFA would like to use the Football
for Hope Movement to get involved with and support football's
development within the Special Olympics," said FIFA President
Blatter.

"Within this programme, FIFA is determined to give its
support to Special Olympics, whose goal is truly remarkable. I
would like to encourage all football fans and others to attend the
Special Olympics World Summer Games Shanghai 2007. For the Game.
For the World."

FIFA lend their supportThis slogan, as used by the FIFA President, is meant to
reflect the football world's sense of social responsibility.
The Special Olympics is the ultimate goal for some 2.5 million
intellectually disabled athletes from 165 different countries, and
this year's games are set to welcome around 7,500 competitors.
Through sport, and the beautiful game in particular, the Special
Olympics can help bring these gifted athletes and football's
world governing body together behind a common goal.

"We all know playing football is practically a part of
human nature. Football brings people both entertainment and
passion. 'All for football, football for all', is not just
a slogan. The launch of this campaign to assist players with
intellectual disabilities will help people improve their health,
confidence and happiness," added President Blatter.

The FIFA President's statements met with an enthusiastic
response from the Special Olympics Chairman. After expressing his
thanks to FIFA and Joseph S. Blatter for their support, Mr Shriver
went on to add that the initiative could also help to eliminate the
barriers between disabled and able-bodied people: "In
supporting this campaign to help handicapped people play football
we are not giving them sympathy, we are giving them enthusiastic
encouragement," he said.

"Football is a team game; through this sport
intellectually disabled people can strengthen their own body and
soul, as well as gaining encouragement and approval from
society."

Hope for those most forgottenThe Special Olympics, to be held in Shanghai from 2 to 11
October 2007, will be only the second time this event has been held
outside of USA since its creation in 1968. The 7,500 athletes
attending the competition are representing around 200 million
disabled people around the world who, to use Timothy Shriver's
words, are society's "most forgotten" group.

There are currently around 300,000 disabled athletes across the
world involved in football and Shriver hopes that by the time of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the number will have reached
400,000, with female athletes making up 30 per cent of this total.
Through the Football for Hope Movement, FIFA is strongly supporting
the objectives set out by the Special Olympics.

This project is being actively developed in ten African
countries and will help over 3,000 young players with intellectual
disabilities. On top of regular football training and competition,
these up-and coming athletes will also be provided with free health
screenings.